What Reason Cannot Heal
by SeptemberSkies
Summary: "Time heals what reason cannot. There's more truth to that statement than any muggle could understand, my dear boy. " Dumbledore's grave gaze roamed over him sadly. "We must face what few options are left. There are no guarantees, you understand? If you sacrifice your happiness for the greater good there may be no way to ever retrieve it." Lily/Severus Lily/James Updated every day.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: At the beginning of their sixth year Lily Evans makes a deal with James Potter, a deal that could alter the course of their lives forever, or at least, the course of Slughorn's annual Christmas party. Though Lily herself is willing to let fate dictate her choices, when all is said and done there is one man who can't help but wonder if her life could have followed a different path. Severus/Lily James/Lily**

**Updates are posted every 1-2 days, chapters will be around 1,000 words long, and _What Reason Cannot Heal_ follows canon. I do not own Harry Potter. I Hope you enjoy.**

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_"Time heals what reason cannot." -Seneca_

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Chapter 1

Lily stared hard at her potions book, pointedly ignoring the volley of notes James Potter was sending to rain down on her desk. She took a deep breath and brushed them aside before turning the page; though, after reading the same line several times and still not processing the words, she gave up. It had been like this all day. She couldn't remember any of her lessons, just the constant stream of folded, crumpled, and rolled up parchment that followed her like a cloud and increasingly added to her sour mood. Sighing Lily settled on staring blankly at the edge of her table, but even that was disrupted by a rogue note soaring through the air to land right in her line of vision.

She huffed and eyed the parchment menacingly. It wasn't that she was curious; she knew what the notes would say – or at least had a general idea seeing as Potter was the sender – but she had half a mind to open one just to make it all stop. Her fingers reached for the note but at the last moment she changed her mind and swept her hand across the table, intending to send it fluttering to the floor with the others.

The neatly folded message remained in place. She tugged at its corners and tried to slide her fingernails under an edge to pry it up. It wouldn't budge. Lily glared at the parchment.

Then the note began to wiggle, slowly pulling its corners untucked and opening itself on the table in front of her. Lily scowled at the messy scrawl:

_Dearest Lily Evans,_

_As you are a prefect and a fellow member of the 'Slug Club' it has occurred to me that  
you will be attending Slughorn's annual Christmas party this December. If you have yet  
to find a suitable escort, would you care to accompany me?_

_ Love,  
__ James Potter_

Rolling her eyes Lily made to crumple the note but it swiftly folded itself back into a neat square and skittered off her desk, landing in the safety of her schoolbag. She glared at the other notes on the floor as they tried to inconspicuously slip into her bag as well. No, she most certainly did _not_ care to accompany James Potter to Slughorn's Christmas party, or anywhere else for that matter.

As Slughorn began to conclude his lesson Lily pulled a blank piece of parchment from her bag and, in her most elegant script, wrote a short reply:

_Potter,_

_I will consider going with you under one condition: you and your friends may __never  
harass Severus Snape _ever_ again._

_ Lily_

She fought a smile as she folded the note and tossed it over her shoulder onto Potter's desk. This would end it. There was no way Potter could think he had the self control to leave Severus alone, and even if he did there was no controlling Sirius. Lily was home free.

A small gasp from the row behind her was enough to cause Lily to break out into a full grin. _Lily: 1 Potter: 0_

Cheers and the sharp slap of high-fives accompanied the gasp and Lily froze, feeling momentarily uncertain. She hadn't left any loopholes so there was no escaping from her terms, and there was no way Potter would be cheering about that-

"She said YES!"

Lily whipped around in her seat, her ears ringing and her face beginning to heat up, "I most certainly did _not_!" she retorted. "I said I would consider going with you _if_," she locked her steely gaze on the dark-haired boy, "you leave Severus alone. That means no pranks, no teasing, no insulting, and absolutely no touching. And, even if you manage that, it's still up to me to decide."

Potter's grin grew intolerably wide, "We won't touch him, we won't even look at him." He promised, practically bouncing with joy.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, "we won't harm a hair on his greas-"

James elbowed him hard in the ribs. "_Perfect_ little head," he finished, nodding slightly in affirmation.

Lily felt a small smile tugging at her lips and pressed them together so it wouldn't show. It was comical, they wouldn't last the rest of the week, let alone 'forever'. Maybe it would put Severus in a better mood though, having his tormentors off his back for a while.

James and Sirius gathered their things and were about to meet their friends at the door when James walked over to Lily's desk and picked up her potions book. She reached for the book, planning to jerk it out of his hands, but then he picked her bag up from the floor and tucked her book in carefully with her other things. "Thank you," he said, smiling shyly at her, "for giving me a chance."

"You're welcome," Lily said curtly, for she couldn't think of a more cutting response fast enough. She took her bag as he offered it to her and quickly exited the dungeons.

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_A/N: Because I have a dreadful habit of beginning stories and never finishing them, I'm going to use this story as a trial run of a new method. Every day I will post a new chapter, just a few paragraphs long. Though reading this story as it is written will be a little slow pacing-wise, the updates will come quickly and the brevity of each chapter will allow me to update consistently. As always I do not own anything. And I'm still a little iffy on the length. Should it be a bit longer? Shorter? If you have an opinion or just want to comment on the story please drop me a review, otherwise I'll keep all of the chapters about this length._

_Also, I'm a little concerned about the flow, so if it stops making sense and it's obviously because I'm writing little disconnected shorts PLEASE TELL ME. I might not notice it myself so I need you, my readers, to be completely honest with me and let me know if and when I should scrap the project._


	2. Chapter 2

_"We are time's subjects, and time bids be gone" -William Shakespeare_

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Chapter 2

When she finally managed to get back to the common room after dinner, Lily made a bee-line for the biggest, comfiest armchair by the fire. Tonight, just like every other night since he had first arrived at Hogwarts, Remus Lupin was sitting in that armchair, reading a book. Lily perched on the armrest, waiting for Remus to find a good stopping place. After a few moments he slipped a bookmark between the pages and closed the book, glancing up at her he murmured softly, "Good evening, Lily."

"Good evening, Remus," she replied, smiling at his formal tone, "I was hoping you could do me a huge favor."

Remus frowned, "Whatever they did I wasn't a part of it and I'm not getting involved," he disclaimed.

"That's just it," Lily explained as she slid into the space Remus had made for her on the chair, "They haven't done anything…yet." She took one look at Remus's bemused expression and knew James had not told him about her note. "I may have accidentally made a deal with Potter; I told him I would go to Slughorn's Christmas party with him if he stopped bothering Severus," she continued, feeling the onset of her impending doom as she spoke the words aloud.

"Accidentally?" Remus asked, cracking a small smile.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, "I only said it to discourage him; I didn't think he would take it so _seriously_."

Remus shook his head in disbelief, "Of course he's taking it seriously, this is the first chance you've ever offered him."

"And I intend it to be the last." Lily said, scowling at the fire. She was disappointed in herself for letting her temper get the best of her. If she hadn't gotten so defensive she could have just brushed him off, acted like it was a big joke. She supposed, in a way, she was still doing just that, brushing Potter aside without a thought. In fact that was why she was here. Potter needed to think she was keeping tabs on him so that he would stay away from Severus and hopefully be satisfied that she was 'considering' going to the party with him, and she would have to do nothing but politely decline his invitation at the end of December.

The thought of turning Potter down, perhaps in some publicly humiliating way, quelled her frustration but it also twisted her stomach in a way that felt suspiciously like guilt. She shook her head in an attempt to return her thoughts to the conversation. "Anyway, I was hoping you would keep an eye on James and Sirius for me, make sure they hold up their end of the agreement."

Nodding Remus turned his attention back to his book, "I'll watch them, but don't get your hopes up, James will lock Sirius and himself in the dorm for the rest of the year if it means he gets to go to the party with you."

Lily frowned, "I wish he wouldn't," she murmured, still staring at the fire, "I'd feel much better if it's his own fault I turn him down."

"Maybe it would be best if you didn't turn him down at all."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Lily could sense the dungeons before she could even see the entrance. The temperature dropped several degrees and the air grew damp and heavy. There was a strange smell too, not entirely unpleasant, but earthy and old. She silently thanked the sorting hat for putting her in a house that dwelled far from these dank chambers.

Technically, the students were not supposed to know where the common rooms of other houses were. Being inside another house's common room was strictly forbidden, and probably merited several nights of detention with the teacher that caught you, but Slughorn's office was only a bit further down the corridor and Lily was counting on the soft spot he had for her to encourage the Potions Master to bend the rules just this once.

Lily slipped into the small room to her right, knocking softly on the open door as she crossed the threshold. "Excuse me, Professor. I don't mean to bother you but I need to speak with Severus, it's really rather urgent." Her words were soft but firm as she continued, "I was hoping you could let me into the common room, just for a few minutes. Most of the other students will be in bed by this hour, and I won't cause any kind of disturbance."

Slughorn eyed her carefully for a few moments then nodded gravely. "I expect every other student in the castle is asleep by now, as it appears to be well past the time students should be roaming the halls."

Lily smiled innocently. "It was my turn to patrol the fourth and fifth floors tonight. There are no clocks on either floor so I must have lost track of time."

A booming laugh rippled from deep inside his Slughorn's. "I'll let you in as long as no one else is in the common room," his amused expression vanished as he grew serious. "You can't tell anyone though, this is strictly against school policy. If you weren't such a good student, so obviously destined for greatness…." he trailed off before quickly donning his jovial smile once more, "Ah, but you are. So off we go."

The older man gently shooed Lily out of his office and led her down the corridor to a long stretch of blank stone wall. "Felix Felicis," Slughorn murmured to a small greenish stone in the middle of the wall. A fissure appeared through the stones and the wall swung inward, creating a small door. Slughorn poked his head into the room and looked about for a moment.

"Well m'dear, just as I suspected, not a soul in sight besides young Severus. Now, I would advise you to be quick, Filch has taken to patrolling these halls at night and I wouldn't want you to be caught on your way out." Slughorn warned with a wink as he stepped back from the doorway. Lily smiled gratefully and stepped inside, the stones melding shut behind her.

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_A/N: I'm a little disappointed, not much happened in this chapter but I'm trying to keep them short so I guess it can't be helped. I still haven't gotten any feedback about length and I have a feeling the chapters might be getting shorter soon, please don't get discouraged its only so I can stay consistent in updates. Luckily the next few should have a little more substance so I hope that will make up for it. As always I own nothing and I would love love love to receive your reviews. Until tomorrow!_


	3. Chapter 3

_"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." -Andy Warhol_

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Chapter 3

Severus Snape's thin face was bent low over the potions book in his lap, his hooked nose and oily black hair nearly touching the page before him. He was scribbling furiously in the margins, occasionally referencing the ingredients list on the previous page. As Lily stepped closer she could see the boy was absorbed in his task; his brows were furrowed in frustration or concentration, she couldn't tell which, and he chewed thoughtfully on his bottom lip.

For a moment, Lily just stood and watched him. She hadn't seen or spoken to Severus in nearly a month now, and before that nearly every attempt at conversation had ended in a row. She didn't like his friends. At their best they were rude and conceited, at their worst they were dangerous and a little too well-versed in the dark arts. The pranks that Potter and his friends pulled were often cruel, but even they were nothing in comparison to the attacks Severus's friends made on the students without wizard parents. Lily had no doubt that Severus was the only reason she herself had not been targeted, and because of that she found it hard to stay angry with him for too long.

Lily cleared her throat softly while she was still a few paces away and Severus started, smudging the last word of his scrawled notes. As he whipped around, his eyes nearly popped out of his sallow face. "Lily? What…how…." he trailed off as he glanced nervously at the stairs leading down to the boys and girls dormitories. "You've got to get out of here, if you get caught Filch will have you in detention for the rest of the year." He whispered urgently.

Lily stepped closer to the plush emerald loveseat and smiled, "Slughorn let me in, so I think I'll be okay. I need to talk to you, but you've been ignoring me." She glanced at Severus and the empty seat beside him, "do you mind?"

"Of course not," he murmured, collecting his books and dropping them soundlessly into his bag to make room for her.

Lily sat carefully beside Severus; the fabric of the loveseat was just as cool as the air in the dungeon, as if even the smoldering embers that remained in the fire place a few feet away could not greatly affect the chilly setting. Lily filled a few awkward seconds with the sound of rustling fabric as she rearranged her robes. "Sev, I know we haven't spoken in a while, and it's mostly my fault for acting so childishly, but I want to move past that. Just because I find your friends," she paused a moment, searching for an appropriate term, "distasteful does not give me any reason to treat you as harshly as I have. Do you think you could you ever forgive me?"

Severus looked slightly taken aback and began chewing on his bottom lip again. "But Lily," he sighed in a surprisingly defeated manner, "you're right about them. Mulciber and Avery _do_ take things too far most times. In fact, I haven't been on grand terms with them lately either." He offered Lily a wry smile.

This came a quite a shock to Lily. The three of them - Severus, Mulciber, and Avery - had always been inseparable. Nearly as inseparable as Lupin, Black, and Potter. Lily ventured a glance up at Severus' face; his dark hooded eyes were brooding. "Did something happen?" Lily asked carefully, trying to sound as if she didn't care one way or another.

"It's just, whenever I'm around them all I can hear is your voice in my head; '_Mulciber and Avery's idea of humour is just evil. _Evil_, Sev. I don't understand how you can be friends with them.'" _Severus imitated Lily's rich alto voice, laced with the same pretentious intensity with which she had originally uttered the words.

Lily rolled her eyes, it wasn't exactly her finest moment; but if Severus was teasing her then maybe they were going to be okay. "And this constant reminder did what exactly?'

Severus' tone became suddenly serious, "It convinced me that you're right. I tried to make them back off a couple of muggle-born Hufflepuffs they had nearly knocked unconscious and they turned their attacks on me. Mulciber hit me with a Jelly-legs curse so strong it took me a week to fully regain my balance."

"Wow, Sev." Lily eyed him with admiration. "I'm really proud of you."

Severus's sharp cheek bones flushed crimson under his pale skin. "Right, well, it really wasn't fair of them to attack when their opponents were helpless."

"Of course." Lily grinned at her companion and finally relaxed her rigid posture on the loveseat. She and Severus were on speaking terms again - all was right in the world; now she could deliver her good news happily. "So Severus, I didn't just sneak into your common room to apologize, I have something important to tell you." Lily's said matter-of-factly as she tucked her stockinged feet under her body and leaned into the cushions.

Severus' posture also became less formal and he turned slightly toward Lily. "And what would that be?" he asked her.

"Well you see, I got myself into a bit of a mess this morning during Potions. That insufferable Potter kept throwing notes at me, all of them asking me to go to Slughorn's Christmas party as his date." Lily took on the air of, well, a gossiping school girl she supposed. Severus played along, leaning toward her as if listening for a particularly juicy bit of information.

"Well you didn't say yes to him, did you?" Severus asked, looking aghast.

Lily's expression turned positively smug. "I told him I would _consider_ going with him, if he and his friends never bother you again."

At this Severus grew alarmed and slightly embarrassed. "Lily, I can stick up for myself-"

"Oh, I don't think for a moment that you can't. But it's positively criminal when they gang up on you like they do," she replied."Plus, they'll never be able to do it. Even if Potter can control himself he'll never be able to control Black, and in the incredibly unlikely case that they do stay away from you until the end of December, I only said I would _consider_ going with him. We win either way!"

Lily was beaming and Severus found he could not help but smile back. "That was very clever of you Lil," he conceded.

"So, I just need you to do me a tiny favor. If Potter or any of his friends so much as sneeze in your direction I want to know about it. I'm perfectly fine with refusing Potter on no other grounds than the fact that he is an arrogant toe-rag, however it would give me much more satisfaction if I can catch him breaking our agreement." Lily flashed Severus a final conspiratorial smile and stood abruptly. "Now, I'd best be leaving before I _do_ get caught by Filch."

Lily turned on her heel and waltzed out of the Slytherin common, feeling lighter than she'd felt in days.

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_A/N: Thoughts, questions, concerns? I hope I haven't deviated too much in my characterization of Lily but Severus is supposed to be the one person she can truly be herself around so I think that's grounds for her acting a little bit ridiculous. Also, I am not one to make Severus out as a sniveling little child so don't be surprised if he's portrayed as actually having a few normal characteristics. As always I own nothing, please drop me a review on your way out!_


	4. Chapter 4

_"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." -J.R.R. Tolkien_

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Chapter 4

The crisp November weather turned bitter and harsh as winter set in and Slughorn's party drew ever closer. Potter had stuck fast to his word; he hadn't even crossed paths with Severus in the weeks after Lily made her deal with him, or so Remus reported. Severus himself couldn't even complain about any harassment, he hadn't seen Potter or Black in weeks. As much as she wished she didn't, Lily had to believe them. It was highly unlikely Potter had so much as looked at Severus seeing as he had been following _her_ around for the last three weeks.

Potter's entire attitude had changed. His usual cocky and arrogant demeanor had been replaced with a kinder, polite, and even humble persona. She hated it. There was no explanation for such a drastic change in character other than he was kissing up to her. Lily sighed as Professor Flitwick concluded his lesson and dismissed the class, perhaps she would start arriving to class later so Potter wouldn't have a chance to find a seat next to her. If she had to sit through another lesson with Potter politely asking if she would like to borrow his parchment or if she needed a partner for the demonstration she might pull her hair out. One glance to her left and Lily was scrambling to organize her things and leave, Potter was quickly approaching.

For the fourth day in a row Potter scooped up Lily's books and slung her bag over his shoulder before she had a chance to stand up from her seat, and for the fourth day in a row she forced herself to smile tightly and tell him she was perfectly capable of carrying her own things, but the offer was appreciated. Usually this was when he smiled sadly at her, slipped the bag off his shoulder, and, once he was sure she had it settled comfortably on her own, gently placed the books in her outstretched arms.

But today he didn't. James Potter ignored Lily's protests and moved behind her to push in her chair, then walked to the door of the Charms classroom and held it open for her. Lily's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn't playing this game. "Potter, I said I can carry them myself."

He smiled at her, hazel eyes dancing in the most infuriating way. "Yes, you have the ability to carry your own books." He agreed, his expression thoughtful, "You also have the ability to run streaking down the corridors, but I don't plan on letting you do that either."

Lily felt her face heat up and she glowered at him, "You won't _let_ me?"

Her voice echoed in the empty classroom, making her outraged question sound even more menacing than she could have hoped. Anger churned in her stomach and she was surprised to find that she welcomed a fight. She'd had enough; she was through being polite, through being considerate. James Potter was going to spend the next week in the hospital wing if she had anything to say about it.

If he realized his mistake he didn't acknowledge it, just opened the door wider and gestured her through. When James saw she didn't plan on moving he sighed, "C'mon Lily, we're going to be late for Potions."

"No." She spat as icily as she could manage as she crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. She felt like stomping her foot as well but smothered the childish urge, instead pulling her arms tighter across her body.

James stared at her and she could see a hint of bewilderment in his eyes. This caught Lily off guard and she raised her eyebrows ever so slightly; what did he have to be confused about? She wasn't running off with _his_ books every time he turned around. Their agreement had been simple, all Potter had to do was stay away from Severus, so what had given him the idea that bossing her around and following her everywhere she went would help his situation? She could see no rhyme or reason to his actions. Was he trying to impress her? Sweep her off her feet? She almost laughed out loud, and had the sound escaped her lips she was sure it would have sounded as harsh and grating as her fury felt. Whatever he was trying to do, he wasn't doing a very good job.

"Lily," he tried again, "I'm only carrying your books, we're not getting married. You're being a bit ridiculous."

Her rage flared higher, "_I'm_ being ridiculous? I'm just trying to not to encourage you, but you seem to do a pretty good job of encouraging yourself." Lily bit out, hardly able to control her voice. She had pulled her wand out and now aimed it at Potter's chest. "Please set my things down and be on your way."

A shadow fell momentarily over James's face before he nodded in understanding. "You're not going to the party with me, even if I treated Severus like a prince it wouldn't make a bit of difference."

It wasn't a question and Lily didn't answer. Her wand never wavered.

James sighed, shifted the bag on his shoulder into a more comfortable position, and walked out the door.

Lily stared, dumbfounded, at the spot where James Potter had stood just moments before. She stuffed her wand back into her robes and ran from the classroom. "Just where do you think you're going?" she screeched, shoes slapping noisily against the floor as she hurried down the corridor, fiery red hair streaming behind her.

"I told you, we're late for Potions," he called over his shoulder, not slowing his pace.

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_A/N: So for those of you who missed my original authors note, or who have forgotten already, my goal for this story is to post a chapter every day for the rest of forever, or, at least, until the story is told to the fullest extent and best of my ability. I would really like some reviews from you guys, I got my first two today which were wonderful to read, but I won't lie I've been a little upset by the lack of response. I'm sure you're all very busy moving on to your next fanfiction for the day and what not, but I would love to hear from you. I need to know if you guys are enjoying this and if it's worth dedicating two or three hours everyday to writing and editing so I can get a chapter posted. So, good or bad, please tell me what you think. As always I own nothing. Until tomorrow!_


	5. Chapter 5

_"The whole life of a man is but a point in time; let us enjoy it." -Plutarch_

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Chapter 5

There was no one in the halls to witness Lily's mad scrambling down the corridor, and yet with every footfall she felt she was alerting the students and staff of her incredible tardiness. As she rounded the corner she spotted Potter, already far ahead of her even with the extra burden of her bag and books. Lily quickened her pace and finally, out of breath and stumbling, she caught up to him at the top of the staircase and grabbed hold of his robes. "Wait," She panted, "Give me a…second to…catch my breath."

James smirked at her doubled-over form and feigned innocent confusion, "I thought you weren't coming."

Suddenly remembering that she was angry Lily jerked herself upright and let go of James's cloak. "I'm not," she declared, resuming her position of defiance with her arms crossed tightly across her chest.

James glanced at her with an expression of polite interest, "No?"

"No."

Lily knew she was being foolish. She was setting a terrible example as a Gryffindor prefect and should probably be removed from her position. But she couldn't bear to let Potter win.

"Now, Miss Evans, it won't do for you to miss your lessons," he pointed out, a sly undertone to his words.

Lily locked her gaze on him; she didn't like the sudden change in his voice.

"Do I understand correctly, you're not going to class until I give your books back?" he continued in the same light, slightly teasing voice.

"No," she agreed slowly, looking for a trap in his words, "I'm not going to go."

James smiled then and began to transfer the books in his arms to the bag on his shoulder.

Lily let out a sigh of relief. It was over. She could go to class and forget this ever happened, and Potter could stop trying to carry her things. In fact, now that he knew she was going to say no, he should leave her alone completely. She allowed herself a small smile. Slughorn liked her enough; he wouldn't take points for being five minutes late to class. Everything could go back to normal. She held her hand out to receive the bag.

In the time it took her to extend her hand Lily's legs were knocked from under her and James had scooped her up into his arms. The bag was back on his shoulder. "Forgive me Miss Evans, but we really are late, and seeing as you won't move yourself…" James trailed off as he jogged lightly down the steps.

Lily's eyes blazed as she wriggled and kicked in James's grasp but it only made him laugh, "I can catch the golden snitch while holding on to a broomstick much more violent than you, what makes you think a little squirming will make me let go?"

"Potter, get your filthy hands _off of me!_" she hissed. Her teeth were pressed so tightly together she was surprised any sound came out at all."Can you hear me Potter? I said _put me down!_" She emphasized the last three words by beating her fist on his chest.

By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs Lily had wiggled her arm into the pocket of her robes and whipped out her wand. She pressed the tip forcefully into Potter's chest.

That infuriating smirk returned to Potter's face. "Change your mind so soon? You were pretty sure a minute ago that you didn't want to take yourself to class."

Lily just glared at him and shoved the tip of her wand further into his chest. After a moment of silent consideration James set her carefully back on her feet.

Lily angrily straightened her robes and ran her fingers quickly through her hair before she marched off down the corridor, not waiting to see if James followed. Just outside the classroom door she whirled around shoving her wand in his face, just inches from his nose. "If you ever do that again I will jinx you so badly you won't be able to finish the Quiditch season. Do. You. Understand?"

James grinned so wide Lily thought about jinxing him right then and there but he was handing her the confiscated bag. "You go ahead to your seat, I'll talk to ol' Sluggy, as far as he's concerned I cornered you after Charms and you helped me with the lesson, it just took longer than you thought 'cause I'm a slow learner." He winked at her and disappeared into the classroom. She followed suit.

_Slow learner is right_. Lily dropped huffily into her seat. She should have hexed him. She still might hex him, she thought as she pressed her cool fingertips to her slightly flushed cheeks. Who did he think he was, making her run all the way to class and arrive so disheveled? She didn't want the other students getting the wrong idea, that was entirely _unacceptable_ for a Gryffindor prefect.

For the next hour Lily alternated between helping her partner complete the potion they were assigned and deciding which jinx she would use next time Potter got too close to her. It was a good thing he didn't choose to sit beside her today or she might have 'accidentally' spilled her aging potion all over his lap.

When Slughorn dismissed the class Potter appeared at her side once more, but this time he he didn't pick up her bag. He just stood there, waiting for the rest of the class to file out.

James looked down at the floor, "I'm sorry, Lily. Truly. I behaved very rudely earlier and for that I deserve any hex you could unleash upon me." He peeked up over his glasses, "But just so you know, it doesn't matter whether you encourage or discourage me, I'm not giving up either way."

Lily sighed, she had a hard time trusting Potter's sincerity. But...she had lied to him about Slughorn's Christmas party and she couldn't ignore the gnawing guilt that had settled in the bottom of her stomach.

"Giving up would be much more beneficial to you, Potter. You won't change my mind." Lily warned.

Lily glanced at James; her bag sat at his feet and her books lay on the table in front of him. Slowly his hands ghosted toward the books and his hazel eyes searched her face for any signs of argument. He was, Lily decided, clinically insane. With a somewhat bewildered shake of the head she walked to the door and held it open for him. After a moment of hurried shuffling James was out the door with Lily's bag pressed tightly to his side and his arms piled high with their combined texts. Lily walked wordlessly beside him all the way to the greenhouses for Herbology.

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_A/N: Okay, so after looking at all the wonderful reviews you guys have left for me I've decided I should put a quick explanation for the whole Lily/James/ Severus situation here:_

_1) Lily is disillusioned. Go ahead and hate her for it, if I'm being completely honest this story is not about her, it is only told through her. My goal with Lily is to keep her as human as possible, she is not a saint and while she is incredibly smart she is not immune from making stupid decisions. This is my rationale - she's a sixteen year old girl who's maybe a little too proud for her own good, her 'brilliant' plan just blew up in her face and she's starting to realize that maybe she doesn't know her fellow school-mates as well as she thinks she does, and she was already feeling guilty about carrying out said plan which makes the fact that it's falling apart all the more frustrating to her. Therefore, I cannot justify allowing Lily to make any rational decisions at this point because she's basically a raging ball of emotion._

_2) From the reviews I've read it seems the majority of you really hate James. I myself don't have a preference between him and Severus, I think they both have their merits and their shortcomings. However, this (in my mind) is why Lily sees them the way she does: James is a bully. He is awful and cruel and seems to have no conscience and his main target (perhaps his only target, I don't remember the books saying the Marauders tormented any other students) is one of Lily's childhood friends. BUT, Severus on the other hand is very interested in the dark arts - which can actually be evil - and he surrounds himself with friends who practice the dark arts and who target an entire 'race' of people - 'mudbloods' and 'blood-traitors'. So while Lily has an innate fondness for Severus, his friends despise her because of her muggle parents, which would surely make her feel a little betrayed by her once loyal friend and because Mulciber and Avery's attacks are so personal to Lily I imagine she would have hard time forgiving Severus's actions. There are valid reasons for Lily to dislike both boys, but there is one thing James has over Severus; James is charming. It might not be a good reason for Lily to favor him or let him manipulate her but sometimes it's going to happen._

_3) I mentioned this a bit earlier but I'll make this note again. This story is not about Lily, she is merely the vessel through which it is told. This story is about Severus and his incomparable and undying love for Lily Evans. Lily will, at varying points of the story, be with both Severus and James. Just remember that I am ultimately bound by cannon._

_Well, I think that's about it. If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to mention them in your reviews. As always I own nothing of Harry Potter. I will be out of town for the weekend, but you can expect the next chapter early next week!_


	6. Chapter 6

_"You must have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by; but some of them are golden only because we let them slip by." -James Matthew Barrie_

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Chapter 6

The sky outside greenhouse number three was positively glowing. Though it was not yet four o'clock in the afternoon the December sky was ablaze in orange tones which filtered into the greenhouse like a veil, making the air shimmer with heaviness and warmth. In the gauzy orange light Lily watched James Potter tidy up their work station with half-lidded eyes. The heat from the sun was amplified by the greenhouse's tinted glass and the earthy scents made her feel lazy; she stretched languidly on her stool to rest her elbows on the workbench before her.

Potter finished brushing potting soil and dragon dung off of the bench and mimicked Lily's position. She opened her eyes a fraction wider and looked at him; she couldn't really understand why he insisted on following her around and carrying her things and sitting with her in every class, but he really wasn't so horrible when he behaved himself, and almost bearable when he wasn't talking. It was either out of boredom or a result of the enchanting way that Potter's hazel eyes sparkled in the orange haze - Lily couldn't tell which - that caused her to look away and examine the plants before her.

Lily stretched an arm forward and fingered the petals of the nearest flower. "You know Potter, I really like Herbology. So many ingredients for potions come from these plants, I think it's so interesting to not only know how to use a plant but also how to procure one for myself. I think one day I would like to have a greenhouse of my own so I could have all the potions ingredients I could ever need, right at my fingertips." Lily wasn't sure why she was telling Potter this, she didn't even know why she was talking to him at all. But something about the way the petals felt between her fingers and how James' sparkling hazel eyes were focused on her alone and the lilting tone her voice had taken on over the backdrop of the other student's quietly cleaning their workstations urged her not to fall into silence. For some reason, she wanted this moment to last just a bit longer.

"I would have every plant you see in this greenhouse and more," Lily continued. "I would have aconite with petals just as blue and soft as this," she said, indicating the petals she was stroking. "You know this one plant has three names? Aconite, monkshood, and-"

"Wolfsbane," Potter finished.

"Yes," Lily murmured thoughtfully, "and wolfsbane. It's most commonly used in Wolfsbane Potion."

For some reason she felt that James had just told her a very big secret. Something about the way he pronounced the word, it was like a confession. but of what, a vague knowledge of potion making? She didn't know, and most likely it was just the warmth and the glow and the sparkling that was making her think such strange things. She continued speaking, "And I would have more dittany than I'd know what to do with." Lily moved on to finger the small round leaves on the plant to the left of the aconite. "That way no one would ever hurt for long, I could even make my own essence..." Lily trailed off as she thought of the possibilities then remembered that she was giving Potter a sort of impromptu lesson. "Dittany is used to heal wounds," she clarified.

On the opposite side of the aconite was a small asphodel plant, its tiny buds were just beginning to open. "Of course, I would have to plant asphodel as well. It's powdered root is necessary, along with dittany, to brew a Wiggenweld Potion for really powerful healing. It can even awaken someone from a magically induced sleep." Lily cupped a tiny bud in her palm. "There's an old muggle story, we call them fairy-tales, that tells of an evil witch who cursed a beautiful maiden into eternal sleep. But when the maiden's true love finds her he is able to break the spell with a kiss. I think her true love must have been a wizard, don't you? A kiss of Wiggenweld could certainly awaken a cursed maiden. It's so funny how the muggle and wizarding worlds can be simultaneously separate and yet tangled so thoroughly together that you cannot tell when you leave one and enter the other."

As Lily spoke James simply sat and listened and watched. Maybe the warmth and the heavy glittering air was affecting him too, or maybe he was just really interested in Herbology and muggle-lore. Either way, he seemed quite content to sit there listening to her with his chin cradled in his hands. Eventually, Lily exhausted all of the plants within her reach and could no longer think of any others worth discussing. As she fell quiet James shifted his gaze from the plants in front of him to Lily's face, "Well don't stop now, surely there's more you would want to put in your greenhouse," James murmured.

Lily shrugged, "Surely there is, but I can't think of anything else at the moment."

"What about Puffapods?" James suggested.

"They're pretty I guess, but how often does one need to make a troll sneeze? That's about all they're good for," Lily mused in reply. It was strange. She was having an actual conversation with James Potter and not once had she felt the need to strangle him. Perhaps the soft blush of the sunset was making him forget he was supposed to be an arrogant prig.

James produced a small puffapod bean from the pocket of his cloak and dropped in onto the workbench. The moment it landed the bean burst into a beautiful pink flower, drawing the attention of several students nearby. "I don't know, I think there's something to be valued in things that exist purely to please the eye," he stated. "Of course, anything that has incomparable ability _and _beauty is worth infinitely more," he added, looking straight at Lily.

She was sure the two events were entirely unrelated, but, at the very same moment that James' gaze fell upon her an odd melting sensation occurred in Lily's stomach. The melting feeling wasn't entirely unpleasant, and therefore must have been the cause of the surprised smile that escaped onto her lips. Thus, her smile was in fact not directly related to James Potter's words or his stare or his sparkling hazel eyes. All the same, James smiled back as he plucked the blossom from the puffapod handed it to her.

Lily blinked dazedly as he arm stretched forward, seemingly of it's own accord, and accepted the flower. All the while her face still held that surprised little smile. When her arm returned to her lap, vibrant pink bloom in tow, Lily silently vowed never to eat the peculiar blackish pudding she had sampled at lunch, which was the only logical explanation she could think of for the talking and the smiling and the melting feeling.

A moment later professor Sprout dismissed the class and Lily quickly gathered her own things and exited the greenhouse. James didn't attempt to take her bag or even acknowledge that the lesson was over, he just smiled his own little surprised smile and watched Lily leave.

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_A/N: I feel like this chapter had quite a different vibe than all the others I've posted before. It's most likely because I wrote the other chapters nearly a year ago and have just been editing and revising them before I post them. This is the first chapter I wrote completely in the present, so I guess that means my voice has changed a bit since last year. Well, tell me what you think because if you liked the way I was writing before I can try harder to mimic that, otherwise I'll just keep moving forward in this style._

_Also, I wasn't supposed to update a second time today but I felt bad for missing my post yesterday. So, until next week! (for real this time)_

_P.S. To the guest reviewer totalreadr: I'm sorry my comment offended you, it wasn't meant to be an insult to readers. In no way was I suggesting that cannon is better than AU, I have written several AU stories myself. I simply wanted to convey what I thought I mentioned in an earlier authors note, I am sticking as closely to cannon as possible in this story. If that isn't "simply saying" that my story is not AU I don't know what is. Feel free to log in/sign up and PM me if you have any further questions, problems, or concerns._


	7. Chapter 7

_Time is the longest distance between two places." -Tennessee Williams_

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Chapter 7

"Are you sure he hasn't bothered you, Sev?" Lily asked quietly as she slid onto the end of the Slytherin bench in the Great Hall. Since the disagreement with his friends Severus hadn't been speaking to them, so he had taken to eating breakfast alone.

Severus glanced thoughtfully at the ceiling for a few moments as he finished chewing his toast. "I'm telling you Lily, I don't think he's even looked at me in weeks. Black has been avoiding me too. I was down by the lake just yesterday and I thought I heard Black laughing, but when I turned around he and Lupin were yards away and running toward the castle."

Lily was having a hard time believing this. She had been pretty sure that Potter and Black would explode from pent up frustration if they didn't antagonize Severus for even a week, let alone a month. But Severus wouldn't lie for Potter's sake, that she was sure of. Lily's mind traveled back to her lesson in the greenhouse the day before and felt her cheeks heat up. There was no sense in getting flustered over something so silly, she reminded herself. Potter was surely only acting this way because he thought he could win her over somehow. Though he knew the agreement was not concrete and that she would most likely turn him down anyway he did not appear to be deterred. Maybe his pride complex was kicking in, most Gryffindor's seemed to have one. It would explain why he wanted to prove himself even when there was no hope of gaining anything.

She looked at Severus pensively for a moment then decided to voice her thoughts. "D'you think Potter would still act this way if I told him the deal was off?"

Severus paused with his toast half-way in his mouth and cocked and eyebrow.

"I mean, he knows I don't plan on going to the party with him even if he does leave you alone, but he still hasn't bothered you. I think he just wants to prove himself and he probably thinks that if he sticks it out I'll see him as self-sacrificing or something equally foolish. But I can't help but wonder if he would start bullying you again if I told him the deal was off." Lily explained.

The miffed look on Severus' face as he chewed coupled with his slowly pinkening cheeks suggested that Lily immediately stop vocalizing her attempt to protect him lest she be left to sit by herself. Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm just thinking out loud, Sev, don't get so offended."

"I'm not offended," Severus retorted. "Be my guest, tell him the deal is off. I told you before I can stick up for myself."

Lily rumpled Severus' hair, which was oddly clean today allowing the dark locks to curl slightly at the base of his neck and around his ears. His eyes seemed to have more of a sparkle in them as well, and Lily couldn't help but think what a wonderful thing it was that Severus was no longer associating himself with Avery and Mulciber and the other so-called "Death Eaters." It did wonders for his appearance.

"Good, I think I'm going to do just that," she declared.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Lily hoisted herself through the portrait hole and glanced furtively around the Gryffindor common room for James Potter. She was going to end this foolishness once and for all. As soon as Potter no longer felt obligated to stop teasing Severus he and Sirius would come back in full force, and Lily could stop feeling as if her abdomen was melting every time she heard Potter's name.

She spotted him lounging along the arm of a large sofa in front of the fireplace. Remus and Peter sat on the couch while Sirius stretched out on the floor with his back to the fire.

"You're showing your mutt, Padfoot." Lily heard James comment as Sirius rolled over into a more comfortable position on the thick crimson carpet. The other boys laughed, though Lily could not understand what was so funny about James' nonsensical comment, and Sirius bared his teeth and growled in James' direction. Lily cleared her throat softly.

Four pairs of eyes quickly turned to her, almost in perfect unison. However, three turned away disinterestedly after a few moments until only James' bright hazel eyes remained locked on hers. He stood gracefully from the armrest and waltzed to Lily's side. "Hello, Lily," he greeted in a low voice, "What can I do for you?"

His smile was playful but Lily pursed her lips and looked pointedly away. "The deal is off, Potter."

Confusion flitted over his face only to be quickly replaced by the same playful smile. "I know. The deal's been off for some time now, hasn't it?" He replied, obviously referring to his revelation in the corridor just a few days ago.

Lily pursed her lips tighter and tried to ignore the absurd melting feeling. "I'm giving you my final answer, I decline your invitation to Slughorn's Christmas party." She told him tightly, because the words were surprisingly harder to say than Lily had expected.

Potter's face swiftly lost it's playful countenance. "Oh. I see. Well I'm sorry to hear that Miss Evans, perhaps another time?" His inquiry was painfully formal.

"No, I don't think so." Lily whispered. She quickly turned away from the curious glances of the other three boys and hurried toward the girls dormitories. This left James standing alone behind the couch, musing his untidy hair and staring dejectedly at the space Lily had occupied just moments ago.

Lily did not think she would reach her dorm fast enough. At some point in the conversation the melting sensation had become a dull, pulsing pain that caused her to stumble as she climbed the stairs and forced hot tears out of her eyes. She had wanted to end this strange relationship with James, where every day she was unsure if she would gain or lose ground, or even if she wanted to gain or lose ground. Therefore this pain couldn't possibly be related to James; and yet she was fairly sure it had nothing to do with what she had eaten for breakfast either.

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_A/N: So there's a wonderful picture of Alan Rickman when he was younger that I posted a link to on my profile. This is what I'm picturing young Severus must look like as Lily rumples his hair - kind of adorable. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I happily await your feedback because I still haven't heard anything about the slight change in writing style - is it weird or good? - and I want to know what you think about the changing relationships. Until tomorrow!_


	8. Chapter 8

_"One of the most time-consuming things to have is an enemy" -E.B. White_

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Chapter 8

A vibrant scarlet and gold scarf was wrapped tightly around Lily's neck, thick woolen mittens adorned her hands, her heaviest fur-lined cloak was clasped about her shoulders, and yet she could still feel the bitter chill of winter in her very bones. Her right hand, which Severus clasped tightly in an attempt to keep either of them from falling among the snow drifts, was slightly warmer. Or at least, she assumed it should be - Lily couldn't really make a distinction between the relative numbness of her extremities. As they walked a particularly cold gust of wind sent powdery snow flying into her face and she let out a startled squeak. Severus laughed good-naturedly at her side and shook his thick dark locks, hoping to dislodge some of the snowflakes that had landed there.

"Are you sure about this, Sev?" Lily asked uneasily as her boot dipped into yet another powdery drift and she almost lost her balance.

Severus placed a steadying hand on her elbow and assured her, "Of course! If the ice is thick enough to hold up Mulciber and Avery it wont have a bit of trouble with you." He smiled warmly at Lily. Today his sharp cheeks were rosy from the cold and the exertion of hiking down to the Great Lake, giving life to his usually sallow appearance.

Lily just gripped his hand tighter and continued taking light, measured steps. She didn't doubt that it would be fun, she had fond memories of skating with Petunia when they were children. What was really worrying her was how warmly dressed four other Gryffindors had been when she saw them that morning at breakfast. Lily had managed to avoid James since she'd broken off their deal a few days ago but she knew she couldn't stay away from him forever. But she'd really been hoping to enjoy her last peaceful Saturday before Slughorn's Christmas party.

As they neared the lake Severus began to walk faster, by the time they reached the bank he was practically running and still towing Lily close behind. Just before they reached the ice Severus whirled around and maneuvered his body in front of Lily. She tried desperately to stop but the gathered momentum threw her forward and sent her crashing into Severus' chest.

"Sev! What do you think you're doing?" She cried, though her voice was muffled by the cloak that was pressed into her face. Lily shoved Severus away playfully. "You'll pay for that," she declared, giggling, "You won't stay on your feet for more than a minute, mark my words!"

Quickly Lily performed a switching spell to turn her boots into ice skates and slipped away across the glassy surface of the lake. She looped back once she'd put some distance between herself and Severus and called out to him, waving her arms above her head. "I bet you can't catch me!"

Lily's rich alto voice carried easily across the lake and Severus turned his head in her direction, grinning. He held a snowball high above his head as a warning and began racing after her, however he was still clumsy on his skates and couldn't move nearly as quickly as Lily. She wove tauntingly slow figure-eights just a few yards away from him as she waited for him to get his footing, but then a loud commotion at the edge of the lake drew her attention to four Gryffindor's huddled along the bank.

One of them, dark hair mused and hazel eyes flashing behind his glasses, called out to her as he waved genially in her direction. "Oi! Lily!"

Lily stared straight at James Potter and his friends, then made a big show of turning around and pretending as if she could not hear him. Severus was quick to get the hang of skating and he was now slipping along in her direction. She flashed him a quick smile before gliding away.

Severus followed quickly after her, launching the snowballs he had collected in her general direction and gaining on her every second. Lily squealed and pushed harder against the ice, hoping for a little extra purchase and speed. But it was too late, Severus would be close enough to touch her in just a few more seconds, it seemed she had underestimated his skating ability.

Suddenly there was a loud pop and an ever louder crushing sound. Lily spun around to look behind her but Severus was no longer there. Where he had been skating just a few moments ago there was now a hole in the ice, perfectly round and just large enough for Severus' slight form to have dropped into.

Horrified, Lily gaped at the hole in the ice. "Sev!" She cried, carefully inching toward the hole and hoping the ice would not give way, "Sev!"

A few indignant shouts called Lily to turn her piercing gaze on the four Gryffindors by the lake's edge. Sirius lay sprawled across the ice, his wand was several feet away from him among the snow drifts and Remus and Peter kneeled over him looking concerned. James, however, was skating hurriedly toward her and unfastening his cloak. As he traveled nearer he lost more and more articles of clothing - mittens, scarf, robes, and then even his ice skates were one by one discarded on the ice until James was running toward Lily and the hole in the ice dressed only in an undershirt and shorts.

Lily blinked confusedly at him but as she opened her mouth to ask what in Merlin's name he thought he was doing James breezed past her and dove straight into the icy depths of the lake.

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_A/N: So it's a little shorter than normal but it would have taken nearly another chapter to finish the scene up. Plus, I'm trying to work on my pacing. I've been letting my '1,000'ish word goal limit the length of my scenes up until now but I really didn't want to rush this one. As always I can't wait to hear what you all think, I'm hoping the confusion in this chapter will build up at least a little suspense. I still do not own Harry Potter (I think I missed a disclaimer or two but this statement applies to all previous and future chapters), until tomorrow!_

_P.S. I just want to thank all of my lovely reviewers, it truly makes my day every time I receive a message from one you. I have gotten a few guest reviews and was unable to properly respond to them so I'd like to take a moment to tell you how much your comments mean to me. It is a treat every time I get to read your opinions on the story so far._


	9. Chapter 9

_"Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends." -William Shakespeare_

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Chapter 9

It took a fraction of a second for Lily to regain her senses. Just a fraction of a second and she was on the move, she knew there had to be _something_ she could do to help, _anything_ short of jumping into the water herself. She began rifling through her many layers of clothing for her wand and wracking her brain for any spell that could possibly help Severus.

She didn't have much to work with._ I'm not strong enough to summon an entire person. The water is dark so I can't see anything. Sev will be weighted down by his cloak, he'll sink fast. The water is cold..._ There was something, a half-remembered incantation and no wand movement to pair it with but it was worth a shot.

"_Flagration. Flagration. Flagration._" Lily repeated forcefully under her breath, eyes squeezed shut in concentration. Nothing was happening, maybe the wand movement was the key. She tried the basic movements, but after ten failed attempts Lily could have stomped her foot in aggravation. "_Flagration!_" She shouted one final time and instantly, miraculously, her wand tip ejected a swirling blast of heat.

A cheer of triumph flew from her lips.

Swiftly Lily lay down on the ice and shimmied toward the hole on her belly. The stream of heat issuing from her wand generated just as much heat as a stream of flame and she was pleased to find it retained its strength and warmth even when aimed at the icy water. But after just a few seconds the edges of the hole began to melt. If she didn't move the heat she would soon melt the hole so big that it could cause the rest of the ice to crack, and she realized, she didn't even know how deep her heat-stream was penetrating. It would do neither of the boys any good if it only extended a foot or so into the water. But maybe she could make it stronger...

Lily braced herself for the frigid cold and plunged her arm into the water until it reached her shoulder. She hoped the heat of her spell would continue to radiate downward as it spread from her wand and not rise to melt the ice she lay on, or else there would be three bodies to fish out of the Great Lake today. However, Lily was fairly certain that with the tip of her wand under the water she could both prevent any heat from being wasted and create a column of warm water for Severus and James. Perhaps it would even be enough to keep them from freezing to death; Lily began muttering the incantation under her breath for good measure.

By this point such a commotion had been raised by the other students that a band of professors was making its way down to the lake, Professor McGonagall in the lead as if she knew it was her students who were involved. It was a good thing, Lily supposed, no matter what punishments they would have in mind. She didn't think she could rescue Severus and James all by herself.

Feeling was slowly returning to her numb arm as the heated water rose to the surface and she could hear a faint creaking as the ice directly surrounding the hole was wearing thin. How long had it been? At least two minutes now, and unless James had done some quick thinking that was two minutes in ice-cold water with no air. If they were still alive down there they wouldn't last much longer.

"Lily!" A voice called from behind her. Whoever it was, they were just a few feet away but Lily's face was pressed against the rough ice and she really couldn't turn her head to see them.

"Don't come too close, the ice is thinning," was her muffled reply.

Lily heard the slap of something heavy landing beside her and she tensed, hoping the ice would not break. "What'd you do that for?" She asked indignantly, "I just said the ice is thinning."

"You need to get them out," was the gruff reply. "Remus transfigured some shoelaces into a rope and tied one end to a tree at the edge of the lake. See if you can feed the rope into the hole, maybe they can grab on."

Lily looked doubtful. How would they see the rope in the murky water? What she really needed a way to catch them, like a net. However, she lowered the rope into the water anyway, keeping it within her heat-stream.

"_Incarcerus!_" The voice behind her bellowed as soon as the whole length of the rope had fallen into the water. The lax cord suddenly grew taut and Lily could see the bit that fed into the water moving back and forth, as if looking for something. After a moment the rope's movement stopped and the voice behind her called out to the other side of the lake, "Oi! Pull it in!"

The students on the bank gathered around the tree that the rope was tied too, each placing their hands firmly on the rope, and began tugging the line slowly from the water. Hurried footsteps told Lily that the figure behind her had left, perhaps to join the rescue. Lily remained where she was. There was no way of knowing if the rope had bound itself to Severus and James, but if they were a the end of the line they would appreciate the mild water.

There was a bit of a problem, Lily realized. The two boys had entered the water one at a time, but if the rope had coiled them together there was no way they would fit through the small hole in the ice. Remembering the affect her heat stream had on the ice earlier Lily pulled her wand from the water and aimed her wand at the edges of the hole opposite from her. It didn't take long for the ice to melt and she had the hole widened to twice its original size just as the teachers reached the students at the edge of the lake.

A few shocked cries from the teachers rang out as the students told them what had happened, but Professor Flitwick simply nodded and strode out onto the ice. Picking a spot on the rope close to the hole the professor aimed him wand and firmly ordered, "_Wingardium_ _Leviosa!_"

The rope paused, wiggled violently, and then the point at which the professor aimed his wand rose gracefully into the air, towing the sopping remainder of the line out of the water. As Lily watched it seemed that the rope was endless, the top of the rope was nearly level with the treetops by the time it extracted two unconscious boys, in varying degrees of undress, from the lake and deposited them a safe distance from the hole. Lily let out the breath she had been holding and raced toward them.

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_A/N: Sorry it took so long to update! School is making it really hard to post every night, so it may become every two or three days, but don't be discouraged I promise not to leave this story unfinished! I didn't think this scene would take so many chapters to cover but I also don't want to rush it, the next chapter should be the last one about this debacle. As always I hope you enjoyed and I am eagerly awaiting your feedback!_


	10. Chapter 10

_"Time is the school in which we learn, time is the fire in which we burn." -Delmore Schwartz_

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Chapter 10

Lily flung herself down on the ice in front of Severus and James. The later was wearing nothing but his underclothes, and it seemed he had managed to unclasp Severus' cloak and remove his skates while under water in an attempt to keep the other boy from sinking. As Lily placed her hands on the boys' chests a small shocked sound slipped from her lips. Neither of the boys were breathing.

Lily glanced between them frantically, she could only give mouth-to-mouth to one of them at a time and she didn't know a healing spell for breathing in water. But no one else was there to help, Professor Flitwick had not yet followed her across the ice as he was sending a message to the castle via partronus. Lily didn't know what else could help them, but she wasn't ready to risk saving only one of them yet. Perhaps she could summon the water from their lungs.

"_Accio water._" Lily said, picturing the boys as clearly as should could in her mind and imagining a stream of water spouting from their mouths to the ice at her feet. After a few moments two sparkling jets of water shot from the boys' parted lips and splashed beside Lily as she knelt in front of them. As the last of the water was pulled from his lungs James began to sputter and cough. Severus had been under much longer however, and seemed to have swallowed more water than James. Even once the last of the water splattered onto the ice he did not stir, and his chest did not begin a rhythmic rise and fall as James' did.

"Sev!" Lily called his name despairingly, pushing forcefully upon his chest in an attempt to start his heart beating again. "Severus Snape, if you don't start breathing this instant I'll never forgive you!" She shouted hysterically. Through the heavy sob that had begun deep in her chest Lily sucked in a breath of air and swiftly sealed her lips over Severus' mouth.

James, whose eyes had fluttered open just moments before, gasped involuntarily as he witnessed Lily pressing her mouth to Severus'. Even his horrified sputtering did not register with Lily however, all of her attention was focused on how bitterly cold Severus' lips were and how weak his pulse was and how little air she actually managed to push into his deprived lungs. Lily removed her mouth and allowed the air to escape from Severus' lips before forcing another breath into him.

By the third breath the professors had finally reached Lily and the boys. James began explaining Severus' poor state as Lily continued to breathe for him. She wasn't sure but she though his pulse might have grown fractionally stronger. The professors were discussing a plan of action and seemed ready to rip Lily away from his body so Madam Pomfrey, who had come bustling into their midst presently and was already ordering people around, could attempt to revive him. Each time Lily pulled away she couldn't stand to wait more than the mere seconds required for Severus' weak body to prove it would not take over before trying again. She paused impatiently following the sixth breath and after a moment of excruciating stillness a small shuddering breath slipped through Severus and the tears Lily had been holding back began streaming freely down her face.

"Sev! Oh, Sev!" She exclaimed and hugged his limp body tightly, undeterred by the sopping state of his robes and their stinging cold against her skin. She fumbled with the clasp around her neck and hurriedly removed her cloak from her shoulders so she could wrap Severus' frozen frame tightly inside.

At this point Madam Pomfrey did take over, though her hands were gentle as she removed Lily's clasping arms from Severus's neck, and summoned at stretcher to carry him into the castle. James weakly tried to refuse a similar fate but was eventually forced onto a stretcher as well. Professor Flitwick accompanied Madam Pomfrey to the hospital wing, deftly levitating the two boys before them.

A warm hand reached down to help Lily to her feet and when she looked up she was met by the light grey eyes of Remus Lupin."Careful now,' he murmured gently, "d'you think you can stand on your own?"

Lily's legs felt like they had gone to mush but she nodded anyway. Once Remus was reasonably sure that Lily was not going to fall over he loosened his grip on her hands but hovered over her as she slowly took a step forward. Lily's eyelashes were thick with tears and her face felt stiff where the wind had dried the salty streaks. She wiped at the fresh tears that were rolling down her cheeks, how could Remus waste his time being to kind to her when his best friend was headed to the Hospital Wing? Surely that is where Sirius and Peter had already scampered off to, and where she wanted to be herself.

"C'mon Lily, I'll take you to the common room so you can warm up." Remus suggested kindly.

"But I- I want to follow them," Lily replied, trying to steady her voice and stop the childish hitching in her breath.

Remus nodded in understanding, "I do too, but Madam Pomfrey won't be letting anyone in any time soon. Let's get you warmed up first, and while we're at it we can have a little talk about what happened."

Suddenly Lily remembered the perfect circle of ice that seemed to have fallen from under Severus' feet. The hole that was just large enough for Severus' thin form to slip into. Remus was right, Madam Pomfrey would have forbidden visitors for now, and Lily was in need of the information he offered. Slowly she nodded her head and accepted the arm Remus presented her. "Alright. But only for an hour, then we'll go and see Severus."

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_A/N: As promised, this is the last chapter out on the ice. A little short but the next one will be full of explanations and should make up for it. I hope it was to your satisfaction, all the action makes pacing kind of hard so let me know if you thought it was too fast or choppy. I can't wait to hear what you have to say about this one! Until next time._


	11. Chapter 11

_"Oh! Do not attack me with your watch. A watch is always too fast or too slow. I cannot be dictated to by a watch." -Jane Austen's Mansfield Park_

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Chapter 11

Remus' arm pressed reassuringly across Lily's shoulders as they trudged toward the castle. Shortly after they had left the lake a gentle snow flurry had picked up, and even the slight moisture and wind sent uncontrollable, teeth-chattering shivers through Lily's body. She heard Remus talking soothingly all the way to the heavy oak doors though she didn't register much of what he said, Lily felt strangely distant to everything around her. She _realized_ that the snow was melting in her hair and her wet clothing was sticking to her stomach and she her fingers were numb and her body had begun to shake uncontrollably, however she did not _feel_ any of it. Her mind latched on to just a few key sensations - her legs had begun dropping into the snow with such heaviness she was surprised she did not fall over, the place where Remus' arm stretched across her shoulders was blessedly _warm_, and the cloak that hung over her frame was heavier than she had expected. _Why?_ her hazy mind asked. She didn't own a cloak this heavy, she had been wearing a cloak of her own this morning and it only weighed half as much as this one did now. Though she tried to remember Lily's muddled mind failed to recall that her companion had in fact fastened his own cloak snugly around her damp and shaking body before they had even stepped off the ice.

She didn't know where this cloak had come from, but there had been an abnormal amount of cloak removal for such a cold day, Lily reflected absently - James' had been dropped unceremoniously on the ice, Severus' was likely at the bottom of the lake, her's had followed Severus to the Hospital Wing, and a mysterious one had appeared on her shoulders._ Hmm, musical cloaks_ she thought dimly as they crossed the threshold into the wondrously dry heat of the castle.

Lily allowed Remus to guide her down the hallway, paying little attention to the route they took. So it wasn't until they stopped and the portrait before them did not hold the Fat Lady that Lily realized they had been walking in the opposite direction of the Gryffindor tower. Remus had taken them to the dungeons near the Hufflepuff common room and currently they stood before a massive painting of a bowl of fruit. Reaching out a hand Remus tickled the pear at the bottom of the bowl and after a little squirming and giggling on the pear's part it transformed itself into a green doorknob.

"Remus," Lily murmured, trying to gather her thoughts enough to form a coherent sentence, "last I checked there's no shortcut to the Gryffindor common room through the kitchens. What are we doing here?"

"We," Remus began as he opened the door and helped Lily through the portrait hole, "are stopping for hot cocoa."

The kitchens were alive and bustling with house elves as they prepared for dinner. Large pots of soup stirred themselves on the stoves that lined the left wall. Knives without users chopped and diced vegetables on long benches in front of the stoves and on the right wall was a huge sink where the vegetables were being washed. One basin was reserved for peaches, which sat in a steaming bath of water. "Peach cobbler for dessert tonight," Remus observed cheerily as he looked around.

In the middle of all of this were five tables identical to the ones upstairs in the Great Hall, all positioned in exactly the same spots. The house elves were busily plating the dishes on silver trays and platters, setting everything up to be transported to the tables above once dinner began. Remus approached a kindly old house elf manning the stoves. She was waving her finger in a lazy circle as she flipped through a thick cookbook, the spoons in the pots of soup mimicked her finger's movements exactly.

"Excuse me, would you mind directing me to the hot cocoa? Miss Evans here has had a bit of a shock, it think it would do her nerves some good." Remus asked politely.

The large orb-like blue eyes of the house elf flashed a concerned glance toward Lily, who was now leaning heavily on Remus for support. "Of course! Of course! Hatty!" She summoned a young house elf that had been positioning soup tureens for the High Table. "Fetch these dears some hot cocoa, and a bowl of peppermint humbugs while you're at it." She ordered, then returned to her flipping and stirring.

Hatty nodded happily and scurried off to the wide hearth against the far end of the room where she collected two bowl-sized mugs and a serving platter. As she ducked into a connecting room Lily turned to Remus.

"I'm not in shock, Remus, I'm perfectly fine." Lily stated and stepped away from him so he was not longer supporting the majority of her weight.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Lily, you just watched James and Severus nearly drown and then revived them both. You used a lot of difficult magic back there, _draining_ magic. Not to mention you're soaked through and it's just barely 20 degrees outside. It's a miracle you can even stand."

"But I'm not in shock." She repeated, making it clear she would not budge on the matter.

Remus might have argued with her further but Hatty had returned and she held a platter laden with hot cocoa, peppermints, marshmallows, and a small steaming loaf of bread. Hatty smiled sweetly at Lily and Remus, "Is there anything else I can do for you, sir? Miss?"

Remus began shaking his head no when Hatty noticed Lily's bedraggled appearance. The small house elf squirmed uncomfortably before them, as if warring with herself over something. Finally she let out a puff of breath and asked, "Sir, where are you taking her? Not to dinner?"

"No, we're going to the Gryffindor common room. Why?" Remus replied.

"Please excuse my nosiness, sir, I don't mean to pry," she said, averting her large brown eyes, "It's only, you can't carry the tray and the Missus at the same time...but I could deliver the tray to the common room for you."

Remus looked surprised. "Can you do that? I wouldn't want to get you in trouble."

"Oh no! Dumbledore is a kind master, he wishes us elves to take care of his students. It would cause no trouble at all." She looked to Lily once again, concern written across her thin face. "I will send you the platter in ten minutes," she said, a bit more firmly this time.

Remus thanked the little elf and hooked his arm back around Lily's waist. She had begun to sag as she stood stubbornly out of his reach. "Alright, Lily, let's go."

The two slowly made their way up the stairs and down the long corridor to the Gryffindor common room. It was deserted, everyone had already gone downstairs for dinner Lily supposed. Remus led her to the plushest armchair by the fire then grabbed a poker and encouraged the smoldering logs into a roaring blaze. Just as he finished feeding the fire a soft _pop_ sounded behind him. There on the ottoman between the armchairs was the silver platter, it's contents still steaming as if freshly plated and including one new item - a slice of peach cobbler.

Lily gathered her cup in her hands and settled comfortably into the armchair, looking into the fire without really seeing anything. Remus sat as well and watched Lily's face intently. "Would you like to talk now?"

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_A/N: I swear this whole ice debacle gets more and more out of hand with every chapter... but I like where the story is going so I figure I'll just roll with it. I really have a thing for the Hogwarts kitchens (could you tell?) I just love how they work and the fact that the school has residents other than humans, hence the excessive time spent getting hot cocoa. As always I can't wait to read your reviews, you guys make my day! Until next time._


	12. Chapter 12

_"There are no secrets that time does not reveal" -Jean Racine_

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Chapter 12

It didn't take long for the steaming hot cocoa to restore Lily's warmth and a bit of her energy. She continued taking slow, measured sips of the smooth chocolate and nibbling on the peach cobbler, which Remus had adamantly refused to take from her, as she tried to get her thoughts in order. Her clouded mind took its time reorganizing itself, she supposed maybe Remus was right as she could think of no other explanation but shock for the grogginess of her body the fog that obscured her memory. It was nearly ten minutes after Remus suggested they discuss the days events when Lily finally felt she could think clearly enough to begin speaking.

"Sev and I had just gotten out to the lake. He was taking too long to put on his skates so I had gone out on the ice before him, and once he was on his feet he began chasing me. I was looking back every few seconds to make sure he didn't catch up to me, and then the last time I looked back he wasn't there anymore. There was a hole in the ice that he must have fallen through, but I don't know how it got there. I had skated over that exact spot just moments before Sev did. Next thing I know James is running toward me and throwing off his clothes and he jumps straight into the water after Sev. Then I helped save them" Lily stared into the flickering fire as she spoke, pausing periodically to be sure she hadn't forgotten anything.

"That's what I remember and none of it makes sense," the words were like a demand for an explanation. "The hole in the ice was round, Remus, _perfectly_ round. What could have caused that besides a person?" Lily finally turned her confused green eyes on Remus. She had an awful gnawing feeling that James had something to do with this but it didn't make her angry, just sad.

Remus had been nodding as she recounted the events and when she finished he locked his grey eyes on Lily. "You had just gotten down to the lake," he began as way of explanation, "You spoke to Severus for a moment and then raced out onto the ice before him. James had been watching you since you left the castle and was hoping to talk to you about the Christmas party deal, or lack there of," Remus looked disapproving as he said the last words and Lily tried to ignore the twist of guilt in her stomach. He continued, "When James realized you were with Severus it was clear he was frustrated, he blamed Severus for you turning him down. Sirius knew that as well. When James called out to you and you ignored him Sirius muttered something about not needing to be nice to Severus anymore and shot a severing charm at the ice in front of Severus."

Remus paused as a look of horror washed over Lily's face. "_Black_ did this?" she nearly screeched, "He could have killed Sev! What in Merilin's name was he thinking?"

"He was thinking," Remus cut in tartly, "that his best friend had been wronged and he could do something about it. He may have taken things a bit far, but his heart was in the right place."

Lily recoiled at Remus' tone. "I didn't do anything to James, I've told him time and again I am not interested in a pompous toe-rag like him. It's not my fault he won't take no for an answer."

A soft sigh escaped Remus' lips and the fierce edge left his voice, "No, you have been consistent in what you've said to him. However, I have reason to believe your actions do not always line up. One way or another, Lily, you must make a decision and quit toying with his emotions. It's not like you to be so inhumane."

Prepared with a biting reply Lily opened her mouth and then quickly shut it. She recalled the hazy orange evening in the greenhouse and the bright pink puffapod blossom she had accepted from James and brought back to her dormitory. It floated in a shallow glass bowl filled with water on her bedside table. Why had she kept it? Because no matter what she said she _wanted_ to accept James. She pushed back the thoughts whenever they occurred to her, told herself she couldn't stand to be in the same room as Potter, but she knew she was always looking for reasons to give James a chance. she wanted him to change his actions so she could change her mind. Wasn't that why she had told him to forget the agreement? She was testing him. She wanted him to prove that he didn't need the possibility of a date to make him do the right thing. It was more than inhumane, she realized, it was manipulative and cruel, and she would put an end to it as soon as possible.

"I know," Lily finally replied in a voice barely above a whisper, "I'll fix it."

Remus reached across the small table and squeezed Lily's hand reassuringly. "Of course you will, you're Lily Evans," he said with a smile. "But don't decided exactly what you'll do until I finish the story, you still haven't heard the best part.

"So, Sirius charmed the ice and Severus fell into the hole. As soon as James saw Severus fall out of sight and saw Sirius with his wand out he exploded. By the time you noticed Severus was gone Jame had already disarmed and stunned Sirius and was running across the ice to you. At first I thought he was playing the hero and planned to 'save' you from the unstable ice, but then he was diving into the hole himself. You know the rest, we transfigured some shoelaces into a rope which Sirius brought out to you - I think he was feeling pretty bad for making James jump in the water. Then Flitwick pulled James and Severus out of the water and you saved them."

Lily nodded. So that was it, Sirius had tried to hurt Sev, but James had saved him. And more than that, James had been _angry_ with Sirius. She rubbed her hands across her face.

"James saved Severus," she muttered. He'd passed the test. She wasn't positive that he had actually changed, he could still be trying to appease her, but either way he had saved her best friend's life - the life of James' sworn enemy - and attacked Black of all people for hurting Sev. She needed to talk to James.

As Lily turned this new information over in her mind the sounds of footsteps and chattering permeated the common room from outside the portrait hole. Dinner was over, Remus' hour was up. As if to reinforce the fact all of their dishes emptied and then vanished from the coffee table.

* * *

_A/N: Did you see it coming? I dropped a lot of hints so I imagine most of you did. Well, I hope you enjoyed! I can't wait to hear from all my lovely reviewers, and those of you who have been faithful your support is greatly appreciated. Until next time!_

_PS. I have started beta'ing for the clever little writer All That's Left is a Girl, so if you are interested in Twilight I recommend her story Black Moon Rising, it's a good one!_


	13. Chapter 13

_This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it." –Ralph Waldo Emerson_

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Chapter 13

Severus Snape was not moving.

It was evening in the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey had drawn the curtains nearly an hour ago, and since then only the soft glow of the gas lamps mounted to the walls had given any light to the expansive room. Two cots were currently occupied, side by side, identical in their crisp white linens and uncomfortably thin mattresses. The bed on the left held a larger boy, one who was currently tossing in a restless slumber. All of the moving about filled the wide room with rustling sounds, which would stop periodically as the boy drifted into a more peaceful unconsciousness. In these pauses the chamber was utterly silent, as the second boy, the boy on the right, lay rigidly still on his cot. Were it not for the nearly imperceptible rise and fall of the boy's chest anyone would have thought he was dead. His sallow skin was stretched tight and pale across his angular features. There was no color in his cheeks, no warm peachy glow to his skin like the one that announced the obvious health of the boy in the left-hand cot. The boy on the left began his rolling again.

The sheets whispered dryly as they tangled around his legs but Lily knew the silence would return when James' sleep became peaceful again. Because there were only two people besides herself and Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing, and Sev was not moving.

Madam Pomfrey had briskly uttered reassurances over the course of the evening as she changed the bed-sheets of the empty cots and tidied up the long room. According to Madam Pomfrey all of his vital signs were in an acceptable range, he had even regained consciousness when they first reached the Hospital Wing long enough to mutter incoherently and then drift away again. Lily knew she shouldn't be worried, but she was on pins and needles all the same.

The lights dimmed suddenly as Madam Pomfrey stepped out of her office. "Miss Evans, if you don't leave soon you'll be breaking curfew."

Lily turned her solemn gaze on the mediwitch and coughed, "I'm ill Madame, I think it might be best for me to spend the night, just in case it's catching." It was a shot in the dark, Lily knew how strict Madam Pomfrey was but she had seen something in the woman's weathered features that looked a lot like sympathy each time she glanced at Lily.

The gruff old woman sized Lily up, a sharp rebuttal poised on her tongue, but then she glanced around the empty room and seemed to change her mind. "In that case you _are_ up past curfew. Get in the bed now, dear, and don't let me hear you up again." Madam Pomfrey warned, then walked back into her office and shut the door. A minute later the light inside went out and the mediwitch's soft snores were slipping under the door-frame to Lily's ears.

Lily crawled between the scratchy sheets of the bed beside Severus and tucked them up to her chin. Sleep was not likely to come, but she was considerably less anxious knowing she would be right there if anything happened in the night. After just a few minutes of tracing the planes of Severus' face with her eyes and listening to the soft pop and crackle of the gas lamps Lily's lids grew heavy and her anxious thoughts dissolved into slumber.

It was a strange, muffled whimper that woke Lily some hours later. The sky outside the Hospital Wing's windows was still an inky black and the door to Madam Pomfrey's chambers remained shut tight. Sitting up Lily examined the boys beside her and again the soft, sighing whimper came, and though Severus had his head turned away from her she was sure it escaped his lips.

Slipping out of the cot Lily padded softly to Severus' side and laid a comforting hand upon his shoulder. There was a deep furrow between his brows, though whether it was the result of the chill he'd caught or an unpleasant dream she could not tell. Slowly Lily brushed her fingers in smooth circles against Severus' back, hoping to ease his discomfort.

Severus' body hitched as he drew in a long, full, shuddering breath of air. Groggily he shifted in the cot and just as Lily thought he was going back to sleep he slowly opened his eyes.

"Lily?" His confused voice was rough with sleep and he seemed to be having trouble focusing his eyes on her face. Lily threw her arms, none to gently, around the boy tangled before her in a mass of sheets and coverlets. Tentatively Severus wrapped his arms around Lily's waist and pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair.

The strength of the slender arms that encircled her came as a surprise to Lily as she nestled deeper into the curve of Severus' neck. Perhaps he wasn't the fragile boy she had known in childhood, his survival of the day's events certainly seemed to suggest it wasn't so.

"Sev, I'm so happy you're okay," Lily whispered, cheek pressed against his jaw. She was so thrilled in fact that she worried momentarily that she wouldn't be able to release her hold of Severus, let alone allow him out of her sight, for the rest of her life.

With a soft laugh Severus gently unbound himself from Lily's hold so he could sit up. "What are you doing here?" he asked, voice pitched low as he glanced at Madam Pomfrey's darkened room, "You aren't ill are you?"

Lily shook her head, "No, I'm fine, Madame Pomfrey said I could spend the night." She smiled when Severus looked at her in disbelief, "Really, she did!"

She seated herself, cross-legged on the end of the bed facing Severus, "She also said you only woke up once, when you first arrived, and not for very long. Do you remember anything that happened?"

Sev closed his eyes and nodded, "I was chasing you, and then suddenly the ice was gone and I was falling into the water. I held my breath for a long time and tried to get back to the surface but it was so dark I couldn't see where I'd fallen in. There was a spot in the water that was warmer than the rest so I swam toward it."

Hearing this Lily felt warm pride spread throughout her body, she _had_ been useful today. Up until this point she hadn't been entirely sure.

"I must have blacked out soon after because that's the last thing I remember." Severus opened his eyes and added acidly, "I don't know how, but I'm pretty sure Potter had something to do with this."

"Sev, he saved you!" Lily blurted, then smacked a hand across her mouth, as if it would reduce the volume of her exclamation. "Sirius hexed the ice so you would fall through, but when James saw it happen he jumped in after you. He was under with you for a long time before someone brought a rope and charmed it so it would tie itself around the two of you and Professor Flitwick levitated you out. But James didn't do anything to hurt you, if anything he wanted to help."

There was an odd protectiveness to her tone that Lily hoped Severus wouldn't notice. But James had kept his promise, even after she broke off their deal, and she didn't want anyone thinking otherwise.

"Oh " Severus' voice softened fractionally, "but are you sure they didn't plan it? What if this was just another one of Potter's ploys to make you favor him?"

"I can't imagine anyone, even Potter, risking their life trying to carry out some stupid ruse. I think Sirius really tried to hurt you, and I think James really tried to save you." Lily took Severus' pale, slender hand in her own, "But it doesn't matter, the only important thing is that you're still here." She ran her fingers through his silky tousled hair and watched Sev's eyes as they fought sleep. "Now, let's go back to bed."

Lily made to stand and return to her cot but Severus tightened his grip on her hand, "Wait, stay with me?"

A tiny puff of laughter escaped Lily, "Sev, I am staying, just on the other side, in my own cot."

He pouted and muttered something that sounded like 'not close enough,' refusing to release her fingers. Lily rolled her eyes, chalking Severus' strange behavior up to whatever medication Madam Pomfrey had given him. "I'll stay right here until you fall asleep, how does that sound?" Lily suggested.

As means of response Severus released her, burrowed into the covers, and shut his eyes. "Don't leave a minute sooner, you swear Lily?" His words were thick with exhaustion as he made this final request.

"Sure," Lily complied, stretching out on her side at the end of the bed and waiting for Severus' breathing to grow slow and even.

-/-/-/-/-/-

James was the first person to wake in the morning, thrown from his restless dreams by a bright band of sunlight splashing across his face. Rubbing his eyes and glancing around drowsily he found Severus in the cot beside him with Lily's sleeping form sprawled across the foot of the bed like a guard dog.

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_A/N: I can't even begin to tell you all how sorry I am for this massive break in updates but I hit a seriously nasty wall trying to write this chapter. So in an attempt to overcome my block I joined deviantART - bad idea folks unless you want all your time sucked away - and began writing short poetry to get my thoughts together (if you're interested in aforementioned short poetry my deviantID is SeptembeSkies2298 and you can find my page by replacing the www part of the deviantART web address with my ID )_  
_So, I'm over the block but also strangely compelled to write poetry all day long which is really working against me updating this story every day or so. Please find it in your hearts to forgive me, I'm working hard to keep up now, and I made this chapter a little longer than they've been recently to maybe make up for it. As always I own nothing, love reading your reviews, and will see you next time!_


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